Emotional
comeback for Ludmila Engquist at the DN Galan
Keijo Liimatainen & Chris Turner
26 July 1999 – Stockholm - " I am still alive, I feel great and at least I hope that I don't have any more tumours anywhere. Actually I feel so great that I have decided to surprise people and run at DN Galan on Friday, July 30".
This unexpected announcement was made by Ludmila Engquist, 35, at a press conference in Stockholm on Monday.
Engquist, the 1996 Olympic champion and 1997 World champion at 100 metre hurdles, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April this year. A few weeks later her right breast was removed. She has since gone through four chemotherapy sessions, with two remaining scheduled for late August and September. She has not missed a single work out during her treatment.
"I really wanted to run at DN Galan, because it was my first meet as a Swedish citizen in 1996, just prior to the Atlanta Olympics. I got tired of only training and started thinking about the possibility of competing.
Originally the plan was for Ludmila to return to the track next year with the Sydney Olympics as her goal. Her last meet was the European Cup in Malmö 1998.
Ludmila and her husband and coach, Johan Engquist, made the final decision this past Saturday after a work out and after obtaining clearance from her doctors. "It felt good over ten hurdles and I'm very excited to run. I love to do impossible things such as this. No, I am not nervous now, but I will be before the race".
Ludmila was looking forward to running against Gail Devers, to whom she has never lost, but the American withdrew on Friday due to injury. However, the field is very strong with such hurdlers as Melissa Morrison, Anjanette Kirkland and Kim Carson.
If things go well at DN Galan, Ludmila hopes to compete in Monte Carlo, Cologne and probably at the World Championships in Seville!
"But I take one day at a time. DN Galan will be my first step towards a future I hope will be good to me".